Fastening devices



June 22, 196s F. PARSONS 3,189,965

FASTENING DEVICES Filed April 16, 1963 United States Patent O 3,189,965 FASTENING DEVICES Frank Parsons, Shoreham-by-Sea, England, assigner to Nyelet Limited, Shoreham-hy-Sea, Sussex, England, a British company Filed Apr. 16, 1963, Ser. No. 273,420 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Apr. 16, 1962, 14,692/62 Claims. (Cl. 24-221) This invention relates to fastening devices which may be `attached to rings, eyelets or like members that may be secured for example to canvas, sailcloth or a Waterproof covering material.

According to the present invention there is provided a fastening device which may be attached to a ring, eyelet or like member and which comprises a trunk having one end adapted to pass through the said member, and a key located at the said one end of the trunk and pivoted about an axis between an inoperative position in which substarn tially the whole key overlies the trunk so that the said one end of the trunk can pass through the said member and an operative position in which the key projects beyond the trunk to prevent the said one end passing through the said member.

The trunk may comprise a main part and a tongue part projecting therefrom at or near the said one end, in which case at least part of the key will overlie the tongue part when the key is in its inoperative position.

The main part and tongue part may be` integral. The trunk may comprise a moulded synthetic plastic such as polypropylene.

Alternatively the tongue part may be separate from the main part. In this case the tongue part may be a flat strip, for example, of metal. The main part may be hollow, in which case preferably the tongue part may pass through an opening in the side of the main part.

The device can further comprise means for resiliently holding the key in its operative and inoperative positions.

The `afore-mentioned end of the trunk may be grooved or recessed to locate the key in its operative and inoperative positions.

Preferably the axis about which the key pivots is coincident or substantially coincident with the axis of the trunk and the key extends to a greater extent on one side of the pivot axis than on the other side. It is preferred also that the key should project upwardly from the end of the trunk, the upward slope of the key on the afore-mentioned one side of the pivot axis being greater than the upward slope at theafore-mentioned other side to facilitate passing the key and the said one end of the trunk through the member when the key is in its inoperative position.

The key may be rotatable on a spindle and may be integral with the said spindle.

Two embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

l FIGURES 1 and 2 are respectively a side view and a plan View of a device of the invention,

FIGURE 3 is a section on line 3 3 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the device of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURES 5 and 6 are side views of the device with the key in its inoperative position and operative position respectively,

FIGURE 7 is a vertical section of another device of the invention,

FIGURE 8 is an end view of the device shown in FIG- URE 7,

FIGURE 9 is a plan view of the device shown in FIG- URE 7 with the key in its inoperative position, and

rice

FIGURE 10 is a vertical section of a further device of .the invention.

Referring to FIGURES l to 6 of the drawings, the device shown in these figures comprises a trunk 10 having a hollow main part 11 which may be a sheet metal pressing. This main part 11 is of circular cross-section, is closed at one end 11a and has a iiange 12 at the other end. The flange 12 is extended in two diametrically opposite directions. These extensions of theflange 12 have formed therein respectively two holes 13 and 14 for screws or bolts whereby the device may be secured to a fixed member, or to canvas or other flexible material.

The closed end 11a of the hollow main part 11 has a central aperture 15, (see FIGURE 4). A slot-like opening 16 is formed in the side of the main part 11 near its closed end 11a. The closed end also has a diametrical groove or recess 17 running from above approximately the centre of the opening 16 and at right angles to the said extensions of the flange 12.

A separate tongue part, in the form of a tlat metal strip 18, passes through the opening 16 and projects beyond the main part 11. Within the main part 11, the tongue part 1S has a shank 18a having an opening 22 therethrough.

A tiat key 19 which is slightly narrower than the groove 17 is provided on the trunk 10. This key 19 has a rounded undersurface 20 which rests on the closed end 11a of the main part 11 and which fits the groove 17. A spindle 21 integral with the key 19 projects from the rounded undersurface 20 at a position spaced from the centre of the undersurface 29. The spindle 21 passes through the central aperture 15 in the closed end 11a and the opening 22 in the tongue shank 18a. The end of the spindle 21 remote from the key 19 is burred over at 23 to support a washer 24. A compression spring 25 abuts against the shank 18a and washer 24 resiliently to urge the key 19 into the groove 17.

The spindle 21 divides the undersurface 20 into a longer part 26 which is longer than the radius of the main part 11 and a shorter part 27 which is of approximately the same length as the said radius. When the key 19 engages in the groove 17 in one position (herein referred to as the inoperative position) as shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, substantially the whole key 19 overlies the trunk, i.e. the main part 11 and projecting tongue 18. When the key 19 engages the groove 17 in the .reverse position (herein referred to as the operative position) as shown in FIGURE 6, the longer part 26 projects beyond the trunk.

The key 19 is generally rounded in shape but having the side rising from the end of the longer part 26 more steep than the side rising from the end of the shorter part 27.

The 4device is used as follows t-o secure an eyelet 28 having 'an internal `diameter slightly greater than the dilaimeter of t-he main part 1-1. The trunk is fixed in position by means of screws passing through the holes 13 and 114 in the ange 12. The key 19 is turned to its inoperative position. The eyelet or ring 28 is hooked under Ithe tongue :part '18 `and `is piV-oted about the hooked part to pass over the key 19 as shown in FIGURE 5. When the eyelet or ring 28 rests on :the flange 12, as shown in FIG URE 6, the key 19 is turned through 180 to its operative position in which it holds the eyelet or ring 2-8 about the main part 1-1. When so secured, the eye'let or ring 28 can turn freely about the main part.

Referring now to `FIGURES 7 to 9 the embodiment there shown comprises a trunk part 29 `of moulded polypropylene. The trunk part 29 comprises a cylindrical main part $1 having a flat tongue part 32 projecting from one end 33 and a flange -34 at the other end 35. The tongue part 32 extends at right angles to the axis y31a of the main part 31 and its upper surface forms a continua- YThis bore 38 is stepped at 38a -to a bore 4l of larger diameter which extends to Ithe other end 41a of the main part.

yA key 42 similar to the key 19 of the emb-odiment of FIGURES 1 to 6 and having a base length equal to the length of the groove 36 is Ialso provided. This key has a spindle 43 integral therewith which spindle passes lthrough the bore 38 and projects into the bore 4,1. The

spindle 43 supports a washer 44 at its free end by means of a burred flange i5 formed thereon. A compression spring 46 is held between the washer de and a second washer 47 which a'buts the step 38a so that the key 42 is drawn into the groove 36.

yFIGURE l shows a fur-ther device of the invention which device is generally similar to that shown in FIG- URES 7 to 9, the major dilerence being in that the compression spring 46 is held in compression about the spindle 43 by means lof a circular nut 49 screwed on to the free end lof the spindle 43. The nut 49 may be slotted for co-openation with a screw-driver.

The ydevices according to FIGURE 7 to 10 operate to secure -a ring or eyelet 48 in a manner similar to that described with reference to the device of FIGUR-ES 1 to 6, the key being movable from an operative position (as shown in lfull lines in FIGURES 7 and 10) to an inoperative position (as shown in chain lines) las aforedescribed.

VThe invention is not limited to the precise constructional details herein described and illustrated in the drawings. `For example, the main part may be of sutlicient axial length to accommodate two or more eyelets or rings.

The fastening device of the present invention may be used for example, as a itting in a boat or like vessel.

'I claim:

1. A fastening device for attach-ment to a ring, eyelet or like member, which device comprises (a) a trunk,

`(b) a lateral projection at one end -of the said trunk,

the said end of the trunk with the said projection being able .to pass through the said member,

(c) a recess in the said end of t-he trunk, the recess being directed towards the said lateral projection,

(d) a key pivoted and hel-d to the trunk -at the said end, said key 'being manually operable between a first position in which the key rests in the recess and substantially overlies the trunk, in which position the .said end of the trunk is free to pass through the said member, and a second position in which the key also rests in the recess but projects beyond the side of the trunk, in which position the end of the trunk is prevented `from passing through the s-aid meinibe-r by the said projection and the key, the part of the .key by means of which the key is manually operated projecting upwardly from the said end -of the trunk, the upward slope of the said part of the ykey at one side of the trunk being greater than the upward .slope of the -said part of the key at the other side of the trunk and being such that when the key is in the first position it coincides substantially with the flocus of lthe inner circumference of the said member when the said member is swung from a position in which it is hel-d in contact with the :said lateral projection and encircling the said tru-nk, to a position in which it is retained under the said projection and has its plane substantially parallel to the axis of the trunk,

(e) means for resiliently holding the key to the trunk,

and

(f) means whereby the key may be attached to an object to which the sai-d member is to be fastened.

2. A fastening device as claimed in claim l wherein the said part of the key is of substantially uniform cross-sec tion.

3. A fastening device for attachment to a ring, eyelet or like member which device comprises (a) a trunk of generally circular cross-section,

(b) a lateral projection at one end of the trunk, the said end of the trunk with the sai-d projection being able to pass through the said member,

(c) a recess in the said end of the trunk, said recess lbeing .diametrical to the end of the trunk and in line with the said projection,

(d) a key pivoted and held to the said end lof the trunk, the key being pivoted on an axis coincidental with the major yaxis of the trunk, said key being manually operable between a first position in which the key rests in the recess land substantially overlies the trunk 4and partially overli-es the said later-al projection, in which position the said end of the trunk is free to pass through the said member, .and a second position .at to the first position, in which the key also rests in the recess but projects beyond the side of the trunk, in which position the said len-d of the trunk is prevented from passing through the said member by the said projection and the key,

(e) the part of the key by means of which t-he key is manually operated projecting upwardly from the `said end of the trunk, the upward slope of the said part of the key Iat one side of the trunk being ygreater than the upward slope of the said part of the key Iat the other side of the trunk, the said upward slope of the key at the other side of the trunk being such that it coincides substantially with the locus of the inner circumference of the said member when the said member lis swung from a position in which it is held in cont-act with the said projection and encircling the .said trunk, to a position in which it is retained under the said projection :and has its plane substantially parallel to the axis of the trunk,

(f) means lfor resiliently holding the key tothe said end of the trunk, and

(g) means for attachment of the trunk to an object to which the said member is to be fastened.

4. The combination of a fastening device as claimed in claim 3 with a ring, eyelet or like member.

5. A fastening device for attachment to a ring, an eyelet or like member comprising (a) a trunk having a (b) centrally located longitudinally extending bore,

(c) a laterally extending projection at one end of the trunk, the outer face of said one end of the trunk having a (d) diametr-al groove formed therein extending entirely across the said outer face in alignment with said projection,

(e) .a key comprising (-f) an elongated head and a Y v (g) `shank depending from the head eccentric to the longitudinal center of the key head so that a ('h) major length portion of the key head extends beyond one `side of the sh-ank to provide a linger engaging portion and -(i) a minor length portion extends beyond the opposite `side of the shank,

(j) the minor length portion of the key head being of a substantial length so that it provides a substantial -second ringer engaging portion,

(k) said shank being received by the bore in the trunk to provide a pivotal connection between the key and the trunk so that the key is manually operable between ,a first position in which the key head rests (o) ya slot in one side thereof opening into said bore in the groove and overiies the trunk and the profor receiving the apertured portion of said tongue,

jection with the major length portion of the head (p) said shank extending through the aperture in the overlies the projection, in which rst position the tongue, and said resilient means also serving to resaid end of the trunk is free to pas-s through the 5 tain the tongue in position in the slot.

said mem-ber, and a second position in which the key -heatd also rests in the groove but With its ma- References Cited by the Examiner jor ylength portion projecting beyond the trunk and cooperates with the projection to prevent the trunk UNITED STATES PATENTS from passing through said member, and 10 244,072 7/131 Paschgd 24 221 (1) means for resiliently holding the key head in Said 976,057 111/10 ,Esty 24 221 groove, Said Projection Comprising 1,474,208 11/23 Phillips 24-.221 l(no) a tongue hovmg 1,797,637 y3/3t1 Freeman.

(n) on eccentrically ylocated aperture therethrough,

said trunk having 15 DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FASTENING DEVICE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A RING, EYELET OR LIKE MEMBER, WHICH DEVICE COMPRISES (A) A TRUNK, (B) A LATERAL PROJECTION AT ONE END OF THE SAID TRUNK, THE SAID END OF THE TRUNK WITH THE SAID PROJECTION BEING ABLE TO PASS THROUGH THE SAID MEMBER, (C) A RECESS IN THE SAID END OF THE TRUNK, THE RECESS BEING DIRECTED TOWARDS THE SAID LATERAL PROJECTION, (D) A KEY PIVOTED AND HELD TO THE TRUNK AT THE SAID END, SAID KEY BEING MANUALLY OPERABLE BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION IN WHICH THE KEY RESTS IN THE RECESS AND SUBSTANTIALLY OVERLIES THE TRUNK, IN WHICH POSITION THE SAID END OF THE TRUNK IS FREE TO PASS THROUGH THE SAID MEMBER, AND A SECOND POSITION IN WHICH THE KEY ALSO RESTS IN THE RECESS BUT PROJECTS BEYOND THE SIDE OF THE TRUNK, IN WHICH POSITION THE END OF THE TRUNK IS PREVENTED FROM PASSING THROUGH THE SAID MEMBER BY THE SAID PROJECTION AND THE KEY, THE PART OF THE KEY BY MEANS OF WHICH THE KEY IS MANUALLY 